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Dermatophyte infections.

Barry L Hainer¹

¹Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, USA. hainerbl@musc.edu

American Family Physician

|January 23, 2003

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

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Dermatophyte infections affect skin, hair, and nails. Topical allylamines offer higher cure rates than azoles, while oral treatments are best for severe cases like onychomycosis.

Area of Science:

Medical Mycology
Dermatology
Infectious Diseases

Background:

Dermatophytes are keratinophilic fungi causing superficial infections.
Transmission occurs via direct contact, animals, soil, or fomites.
Diagnosis relies on clinical presentation and microscopic methods.

Purpose of the Study:

To review dermatophyte infections, diagnosis, and treatment options.
To compare the efficacy of different therapeutic agents.
To emphasize diagnostic confirmation before initiating treatment.

Main Methods:

Review of existing literature on dermatophyte infections.
Analysis of diagnostic techniques including KOH microscopy, Wood's lamp, and fungal culture.
Evaluation of topical and oral treatment strategies.

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Main Results:

Topical allylamines demonstrate higher cure rates and shorter treatment durations than fungistatic azoles.
Oral therapy is recommended for tinea capitis, tinea barbae, and onychomycosis.
Pulse oral therapy for onychomycosis is cost-effective but may have lower mycologic cure rates.

Conclusions:

Accurate diagnosis of dermatophyte infections is crucial for effective treatment.
Treatment choice depends on infection site and severity, with topical allylamines and oral therapies showing promise.
Confirmation of onychomycosis diagnosis is essential prior to treatment initiation due to cost and potential side effects.